Home values dropping: Average house price falls by more than £2,000 November 15, 2021 New figures show this morning that the average price of a home coming to market dipped by more than £2,000 so far this month. Across Britain, the average price tag now stands at £342,401 – £2,044, or 0.6 per cent, less than in October – as sellers seek to attract buyers’ attention ahead of the [...]
Burger chain Five Guys eyes accelerated expansion after seeing opportunity in pandemic November 15, 2021 “We’re just really early days still,” explains Five Guys’ UK CEO John Eckbert. The US-founded burger chain expects to ramp up its UK expansion plans after the pandemic has opened up real estate opportunities – but dark kitchens would only ever be “temporary.” Alongside Carphone Warehouse founder Sir Charles Dunstone, Eckbert was responsible for launching [...]
Hot property: Covid ‘race for space’ has homemover numbers at a record high November 15, 2021 Whether it was shifting to the countryside, out to the suburbs or back into the post-lockdown bustle of a city centre, removals vans have been criss-crossing the country to keep up with a boom in the number of homemovers. Data out this morning from Halifax confirms the number of homemovers hit a record high in [...]
Focus On: Get yourself into a Pickle in booming Bermondsey November 12, 2021 Located in the south-easterly London Borough of Southwark, Bermondsey has a fascinating past. Back in the 1800s it was known for its industrial plants for processing animal hides (hence some road names such as Tanner Street and Leathermarket), as well as slums for local workers and the notorious docks that inspired scenes in Dickensian novels [...]
OECD ranking: The award for the country with the world’s most competitive tax system goes to… November 11, 2021 Estonia tops the rankings in a new report by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) that was published today by the Tax Foundation, a tax policy non-profit in the U.S. The ranking zooms in on the the most competitive tax regimes around the world. Estonia’s top score is driven by a 20 per [...]
Assura to raise £190m after 58 per cent rise in profits November 11, 2021 Healthcare property investor Assura is continuing its portfolio expansion plans with a proposed £190m equity placing. The proceeds will fund the company’s short term property pipeline which includes £72m for on-site developments and £102m in acquisition opportunities. This follows the company reporting a 58 per cent increase in profit before tax in its interim results [...]
Nine Elms: Luxury residential tower in Thames City struggles to find buyers November 11, 2021 A residential tower at the centre of the Thames City development in Nine Elms has reportedly struggled to find buyers for its luxury apartments. The skyscraper has sold less than one in 15 homes in its first year of marketing, The Telegraph first reported. The developers have since pointed out to City A.M. that only [...]
London’s drinking: Capital on the way back as Young’s toasts a healthy recovery November 11, 2021 Pub chain Young’s announced it would restart its dividend this morning after a healthy set of half-year results suggested the historic operator’s recovery is well on the way. Adjusted operating profit hit a healthy £27.1m in the six months to the end of September despite ‘lockdown’ and later restrictions on numbers still being in place. [...]
Aviva life sales jump to £25bn, boosted by record savings and retirement inflows November 11, 2021 Aviva’s life sales have jumped to £25.3bn in its latest quarter, which has been boosted by “record” inflows in its savings and retirement division, the firm’s boss confirmed today. The insurer secured £7.3bn worth of savings and retirement funds in its third quarter, which CEO Amanda Blanc said signals “excellent” progress in its post-shakeup growth. [...]
Only 37 properties on estate agents books: Lack of homes is pushing up house prices November 11, 2021 Despite an overall net balance of 10 per cent of property professionals reporting an increase in new buyer inquiries, estate agents only have 37 properties on their books on average, down from around 42 in March, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors warned this morning. A growth in inquiries from house-hunters in October is yet [...]